Escape from Hong Kong - The Final Hours

Ministry of Information

Ted Ross a former purser with Canadian Pacific Steamships Ltd and later based in their office in Shanghai, volunteered as a Red Cross ambulance driver when the Japanese attacked in 1937. He was posted to Hong Kong after four years in Shanghai where David MacDougall recruited him as his assistant in thre "Ministry of Information".
Ted along with his boss MacDougall planned to escape independently by whatever means possible. Ted led the VIP escape party from the Kings theatre driving a Buick with Henry Hsu following in a sof-top Austin car to Aberdeen. Here they learned that the colony had surrendered and elected to join Admiral Chan and his party. They escaped from Aberdeen in HMS Cornflower's 25 foot motor launch under heavy machine gun and mortar fire, abandoning the launch they then swam for their lives all the time being targeted by machine gun fire to the nearest island before joining up with the 2nd MTB Flotilla on the South West side of Ap Lei Chau.

The Ministry of Information (MoI) was set up to maintain public morale through the use of publicity and propaganda via the media. Home intelligence was a department within the MoI used to observe and monitor the public mood, gathering intelligence from the likes of shop keepers, publicans, clergymen, shop stewards, as well as G.Ps, letter opening and phone tapping. The MoI also produced propaganda films for public showing. Admiral Chan Chak and his team were brought in to Hong Kong to assist in keeping the majority Chinese population on board.

Ted supplied a detailed account of the events in Hong Kong and subsequent escape.

Back: Supt. Bill Robinson I.P., W. O. William M Wright HKRNVR, Capt. Peter Macmillan R.A.,Capt. Reginold Guest 1st Mdsx, Coxswain Yeung Chuen CN, Ted Ross MoI.

2nd: David MacDougall MoI, Admiral Chan Chak CN, Major Arthur Goring Probyns Horse, Sq-Ldr. Max Oxford RAF

1st: Cadet Holgar Christiansen MN, Lt-Cmdr Henry Heng Hsu CN.

Photo from Ted Ross collection ©

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Arriving in Shaoguan (Kukong) where the local girls pinned HERO rosettes to our lapels

 

 

 

Photo from Admiral Chan Chak's collection ©

 

 

 

Ted retired to Australia in the 1970's to farm cattle followed by a vineyard "Portsea Estate"

Ted Ross kept a detailed diary and audio recordings covering the escape from Hong Kong to the MTBs.